The economy is cracking the door open for higher-wage jobs in the manufacturing industry, but the unemployed do not have the right skills to enter and take advantage of the opportunity, according to a recent New York Times article.

Factory Jobs Return, but Employers Find Skills Shortagehighlights the skills gap that has widened across the nation as manufacturing companies, particularly industries focused in fast-growing products like advanced medical devices and wind turbines, have difficulty finding qualified workers in the United States. Low-skilled jobs are being outsourced overseas, leaving the U.S. unemployed to vie for higher-wage jobs that require higher-level expertise â€“ an opportunity and conundrum for the workforce.

Businesses are looking to hire people â€œwho can operate sophisticated computerized machinery, follow complex blueprints and demonstrate higher math proficiency than was previously required of the typical assembly line worker,â€ according to the article. That demand is likely not going to change, even as the economy shifts, manufacturers added.